“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the
wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his
delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” – Psalm 1:1-3
I think I killed my
banana plant.
It’s not the first
time. Sometimes I’m not very nice to my plants.
It’s not that I don’t
like plants. I love having them in my classroom. But too often I forget to
water them. Sometimes I’m inadvertently so cruel as to leave the watering
pitcher with water in it sitting right next to a drooping plant. More than once
I have suddenly remembered to water a plant on the brink of total collapse, and
hoped to see the plant recover.
That’s what happened to
my banana plant. After days (weeks?) of neglect I suddenly noticed the
forgotten plant on the floor by the window. So I flooded it with water. I may
be too late. Only time will tell.
Sometimes we get so
caught up in trying to provide all that we think our children need – nutritious
food, educational or creative opportunities, healthy sports programs, outdoor
activities, etc. Yet the most important ingredient is left out, in a dusty
Bible unused on a bookshelf, a family devotion book that goes unread because we
“don’t have the time” (even though there’s time to watch a little TV), or
neglected Sunday worship that “gets in the way” of our weekend recreation.
I can provide all the sunlight,
soil and good air that a plant needs, but without water, my plant still withers
and dies. The same happens to a family life left un-watered by God’s Word.
Make sure that you take
the opportunity today and every day to plant yourself and your family by the
streams of living water found in God’s Word, and by God’s grace watch your
family’s faith bloom and grow.
God
bless your week,
-Principal
Schneck
Report
cards for 2nd Quarter were sent home on Friday. Parents,
please sign and return the accompanying envelope if you have not already done
so. If you have any questions about your child’s progress, please feel free to
set up a meeting with your child’s teacher.
Co-ed Volleyball continues this week for boys and girls in
grades 5-8.
Practice is Tuesday,
January 12th and Thursday, January 14th from 5:00 to 7:00
p.m. at Taku Lake Elementary School.
The first volleyball
games will take place this Friday, January 15th, from 4-8 p.m. at
Lumen Christi. Come cheer on your Huskies!
Junior
Choir meets this week on Wednesday, January 13th at 12:20 p.m.
Handchime choir meets this week on Thursday, January 14th
at 12:30 p.m.
You
are invited to join us for our weekly school chapel service this Thursday,
January 14th, from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. This
week Pastor Robbert from King of Kings, Wasilla, will present a devotion on 2
Thessalonians 2:13-14. Families and friends are invited to come and join us in
starting our day with the Lord.
Toddler Time meets this
Wednesday, January 13th from 10 to 11 a.m. Parents with children
ages 0-5 are invited to this hour of educational activities, structured play
and a snack. For more information contact Mrs. Cara Ewings at 907-792-9388.
If
you have collected any Campbell’s Labels for Education or Pepperidge Farm UPCs,
please bring them in to school to be used for bonus points by January 12th.
Thank you!
There
will be no school classes on Monday, January 18th for Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 19th.
On
Friday, January 15th, from 6-8 p.m. Faith Lutheran Church will host
a Chili Cook Off and Silent Auction to help raise funds for completing the fire
suppression sprinkler system for the church and school facility. How
does your chili recipe rate? Bring
your best chili to see how it rates against all the others. Does your chili
have beef, caribou, chicken or moose? Is it mild, or could it be used to start
fires? Well, we want to try it! Don’t have a recipe? Then come and enjoy some
of the great chili that will be presented. There will also be a silent auction
to benefit the sprinkler fund.
Since
December Mr. Schneck has been deliberating a call to serve Zion Lutheran School
in Monroe, Michigan as principal and teacher for grades 7 and 8.
In our synod’s practice, pastors and teachers at times receive calls from other
congregations to serve their ministries. The called worker then has the
opportunity to serve a different congregation in their ministry, or continue in
their current call.
The letter below indicating the Schneck’s decision was
submitted to Faith congregation this last Friday and read to the congregation
on Sunday:
Dear Rev. Ewings, President
Channing Lillo, Education Chairman Jeff Brooks, and Members of Faith Lutheran
congregation,
I am writing to inform you
that after prayerful deliberation I have decided to accept the call extended to
me by Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Monroe, Michigan. At this time I feel
that the Lord has led me to continue serving his kingdom in this different
mission field, and trust that God will keep his promise of continued blessing
for Faith congregation and its school ministry. I therefore ask to be released
from the call issued to me by Faith congregation to serve Faith Lutheran at the
conclusion of the 2015-2016 school year. I also ask on behalf of my wife Deanna
that she be released from her current call serving the Kindergarten of Faith
Lutheran School.
Deanna and I and our family
will miss you, our family in Christ, and the ministry we shared here at Faith.
We thank you for welcoming and supporting us as your called workers and as part
of your church family since we arrived. We will take with us many fond memories
of our work, our friends, and our experiences in Alaska. We have confidence in
God’s promises to keep his people and ministry here in Anchorage in his care,
for God’s promises are sure.
I thank you very much for
your prayers for myself and my family, and the advice and encouragement from
you as individual members, fellow workers, and leaders, as I deliberated this
call. May God bless you in your continued service to the Good Shepherd’s lambs
and sheep.
In Christ’s love,
Bryan Schneck
Anchorage, Alaska
Mr. and Mrs. Schneck will continue to serve Faith
Lutheran School through the remainder of the 2015-2016 school year.